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Today in History

Today is Tuesday, July 9, the 190th day of 2013. There are 175 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 9, 1943, during World War II, the Allies launched Operation Husky, their invasion of Sicily, with nighttime landings of American and British troops; a full-scale incursion by sea began in the small hours of July 10. (More than a month later, the Allies secured the island from the Axis.)

On this date:

In 1540, England’s King Henry VIII had his 6-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington’s troops in New York.

In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.

In 1850, the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died after serving only 16 months of his term. (He was succeeded by Millard Fillmore.)

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous “cross of gold” speech at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tenn. The Distinguished Service Cross was established by an Act of Congress.

In 1938, Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo died in Port Chester, N.Y., at age 68.

In 1953, the MGM movie musical “The Band Wagon,” starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, had its world premiere at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

In 1962, pop artist Andy Warhol’s exhibit of 32 paintings of Campbell’s soup cans opened at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.

In 1974, former U.S. Chief Justice Earl Warren died in Washington, D.C., at age 83.

In 1986, the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography released the final draft of its report, which linked hard-core porn to sex crimes.

In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton tapped Tennessee Sen. Al Gore to be his running mate. Former CBS News commentator Eric Sevareid died in Washington at age 79.

Ten years ago: The Bush administration defended the war against Iraq, saying that information on Saddam Hussein’s alleged illicit weapons programs was solid even though one of President George W. Bush’s claims — that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa — was based on faulty evidence.